Cloud Forensics

Digital forensics for cloud computing is a challenging and evolving field. Unlike the criminal investigation of laptops and smartphones, data in cloud environments are remote, controlled by third parties, and location-agnostic. When I began my PhD in 2010, there were almost no analysis or no solutions to cloud forensics despite explosive growth of cloud computing and laments about security. The attributes that make the cloud attractive to consumers — including on-demand services, location independence, and pooled resources— make cloud-based data problematic for forensic investigators who needed evidence preservation, integrity, trustworthiness and more. Worse, laws and legal processes expect to govern data in one geographic location, but multiple copies of cloud files are often stored across undisclosed geographic locations. Research is required to allow forensic analysts to acquire and guarantee integrity and trust of evidence acquired from a remote, third party.

Human Resilience

Much research has been done to study technological resilience in cybersecurity. Resilience is the ability to adapt, withstand, and recover from disruptions and attacks. Unfortunately, the resilience of human users has been largely neglected. My active research in this area includes:

• The measurement and effect of cognitive workload and fatigue caused by cybersecurity tasks.
• Study of risk analysis and decision making using individual behaviors and attributes.
• Development of predictive analytics to help humans make cybersecurity decisions faster, safer, and effectively.
• Investigation of aesthetic sonification for cyber situational awareness.
• Exploration of how augmented reality can be used for cybersecurity.

Augmented Reality

Augmented reality has reached the point of commercial viability, but the use cases have heavily favored entertainment and niche applications such as driving. My research focuses on the use of augmented reality for cybersecurity applications.